Metroid: Other M

Scene-by-Scene Analysis of the Trailer

Text by Captain Commando
06.05.09

The following is a scene-by-scene analysis of the Metroid: Other M trailer, complete with screen captures from the video and a discussion of each scene. It points out some interesting details you may have missed.

0:00-0:18 - Team Ninja Logo. The stormy seas isn't part of the game, just something to symbolize the team's philosophy, something like serenity above the storm.

We then see the Team Ninja logo combine with the Nintendo logo. The addition symbol (+) in the middle of the two logos rotates, changing into a multiplication symbol (x).

0:18-0:30 - A bunch of space(station?) debris with what looks like plasma blasts floating through it. Something big and disastrous happened here.

We then see the Project M logo for this historic collaboration as a huge chunk of space debris flies towards the camera.

Samus's spaceship flies into view.

0:30-0:33 - Camera zooms in on a huge glass window on a giant building. You can see people walking in the background - this is a busy place.

A young woman with short hair wearing a military uniform is standing there. This is Samus Aran - perhaps a young Samus from before Metroid Zero Mission.

0:33 - Short shot of Samus thrusting her hand out. She is in conversation...probably with Adam Malkovich. Note her three mission pips (Metroid, Metroid 2, Super Metroid?) and her rank patch. She's also got a really chic headset that while not in any of the games does appear in this cool fanart by Albert L (I'm sure there was no connection). Some fans have noted her quick thumbs-down as having significance.

0:34-0:36 - A quick shot of a giant space station. The place feels military, but could be a research lab similar to BSL. This is probably where some of the later scenes take place, such as with the giant purple monster, and is probably the source of the debris shown earlier. There's really nothing else big enough in the video to account for that debris field, and the cuts suggest an affinity between the two. Also considering Adam Malkovich's demise as discussed in Fusion, it is possible he met his fate here.

0:37-39 - Adam Malkovich at his desk. He has a nice book collection in the future. Is one A Tale of Two Cities?

0:40-43 - Samus walks past (note the man in the background who adds humanity to the scene), then her eye catches a sunset over a vast city...

The red sunset implies disaster will soon befall it...

She stares fixedly in the sunset. She has a cute little mole!

0:43-0:45 - "Any objections, Lady?" Good shot of the GFed logo on his hat.

0:45-0:47 - Samus looks up in response, her eyes fierce.

0:47 - Samus in her Zero Suit - a beam of light shoots out from the sigil on her breast.

0:48 - The explosion in the debris field; then a shot zooms in which appears to be Samus as a young child.

0:49-0:50 Closeup of the sigil on ZSS's breast; it begins to break down into cubes, which then materialize into Samus' power armor, demonstrating how the device works.

0:51-0:54 The Metroid: Other M Logo. Very reminiscent of the Metroid Fusion logo.

0:54-0:56 - The first in-game footage. Samus is fighting in a room FULL of Rio's (Rios have two eyes and talons; Kihunters have one big eye and spikes). It looks like some sort of sewer. The Rios have some REALLY creepy glowing eyes that leave behind light trails. She blasts one in the background, then turns to shoot one in front. She spin-jumps over it, then fires behind her. (There is a missile icon that reads 5/0).

0:56 An outdoor shot in a forest path. Samus is fighting a giant lizard with HUGE claws that looks like it's made for jumping. It has leaped up on her, but she kicks it off. Note there is a second beast in the background. (The missile icon reads 4/10).

0:57-1:01 Samus is fighting a large purple beast with huge tentacles. She leaps onto its back and fires a charged shot into a huge red eyeball. The camera pans around and you can see some terminals and whole bunch of GFed Troopers standing in a ring watching (some of them fire at the thing in the beginning, but the shots seem ineffective - they might be ice beam shots as they shatter on impact). This could be the interior of the space station. The terminals don't give any useful information. Note that there is an energy bar below her health bar that indicates how fully charged her beam is. (The missile icon reads 4/0).

1:01-1:02 The inside of Samus's visor. She is using a scan visor on a squad of Federation Troopers. The HUD shows she has picked up a few energy tanks Looks like she may be able to hold about 9 of them. She's also got a few more missiles. Looks like they go into triple digits - the counter shows 3/_20 though the reflection shows 25. Perhaps they can only be loaded 5 at a time?). They could also indicate a different kind of missile.

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1:02-1:03 - Cutscene of Samus getting out of a dodge and then aiming.

1:03-1:06 - First person camera action sequence! She has a lock-on system and is targetting the big purple monster. She fires an Ice Beam at it and its right tentacle freezes up. She fires a missile and the arm explodes! (You can see the missile in the screen cap!) The purple energy bar on the right indicates the boss's health (it drops once the arm explodes). Also note the missile icon next to the charge meter. This suggests we'll have charge missiles!

1:06-1:08 - External shot, this time of Samus fighting two giant, purple, chameleon-like lizards with four limbs, a crest, and a REALLY long tail. The muscles on the limbs are drawn Super Metroid-style. They are chameleons - one of them blends into the background. Samus jumps on the other one, wrestles it to the ground, and then blasts its head in with a charge shot. The background shows a greenhouse on the other side of the wall.

1:08-1:10 - Samus is fighting a Kihunter in an industrial corridor. The camera spins around as Samus grabs it by the leg and spins it around before hurling it down a corridor leading into the background. Check out the head and body of the Kihunter.

1:10-1:13 - RIDLEY. For the first shot, Samus dodges his fire breath, which looks AMAZING. The second shot shows Ridley grabbing Samus and flying through the air, while smashing and grinding her against the wall. This is painful. He then lands and grabs her with the other hand while roaring. Check out Samus's boots while you're at it!

1:13-1:14 - Samus in Speed Boost mode. She is in some sort of ice cavern and is blasting through walls of ice.

1:14-1:16 Samus is in a fire zone, spin jumping forward into the camera. You can see in the background a walkway overhead above the pit along with a Metroid Prime-style fuel pump. As she leaps over a HUGE fish jumps out of the lava. It looks like a GIGANTIC Squeept! Seriously, this thing is almost as big as Kraid!

1:16-1:18 - A trooper under Adam Malkovich's command. He touches a button on his helmet which lifts up his visor saying, "Remember me?" Is this Armstrong Houston? Whoever he is, he's a black man - a first for Metroid!

1:18-1:21 - Samus is in the fire zone again, fighting a Fusion-style Space Pirate. She grabs it by the neck while charging her beam. A fireball flies in from behind and explodes (it doesn't seem to do any damage) as she wrestles it down and then BLASTS it in the back of the neck! In the background you can see a couple volcanoes spewing out more rocks.

1:21-1:25 CUTSCENE of MOTHER BRAIN from Super Metroid! She fires a gigantic mind ray at the Metroid larva, and we hear it scream. Remember in Super Metroid where it got wasted by a couple O-ring shots? This time was by the mind lazer, which is MUCH more dramatic.

The floor buckles as Samus lands. Stuff explodes behind her.

1:25-1:27 Cutscene, continued. Nice shot of Samus's visor as she looks up in the explosion. The visor's blast shield comes on, shining green. She says "Time to go..."

1:27-1:33 - Cutscene, continued. Samus poses and thrusts forward her arm cannon. The camera zooms INSIDE the cannon, and we can see the mechanism as it fires out a charge shot.

1:33- Cutscene outside in an ice planet. Samus is standing over the dead body of a trooper in blue armor. Is this the Federation soldier we saw earlier? The camera zooms back and there is a woman with long blond hair and a lab coat looking out through a window.

1:35 - Cutscene inside the lab. Samus is standing in armor while the door opens and in steps the blond woman.

1:36 - Shot of a computer terminal. The terminal says "Living body arms development lab." and "Enter your Mission code" along with "Attestation success......" The Galactic Federation logo is in the background. The terminal reminds me of the Metroid password screen.

1:36 - The blond woman is looking at the terminal while Samus stands behind.

1:38 - Samus and the blond woman again. She is astonished to see Samus, who says "I am Samus Aran."

1:42 - Nice shot of the woman. You can see a beret in her hair. We don't know who she is, but we know she isn't Samus and that she's very important to the story.

1:45-1:50 - Visor shot with a target lock in the center. The numbers '2010' appear on the screen. The numbers fade out. Some fans have suggested the missile count of 3/25 is the game's release date.